Maintaining Optimism After a Cancer Diagnosis

by Ann Webster, PhD

To cancer survivors, health is not
simply the absence of illness. Survivors
face all sorts of physical, psychological,
social, behavioral, and spiritual challenges.
Cancer creates a great deal of
fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, and even
panic. Maintaining optimism and resiliency
is often difficult.

In my Mind/Body Cancer Program,
I offer people with cancer a variety of
self-care techniques that enable them to
decrease stress and take an active role
in living fully in mind, body, and spirit.
These techniques, which have been
proven effective by research, enhance
your positive emotions, which, in turn,
optimize health and well-being.

Especially important is to learn to
quiet your mind and calm your body.
Do this by eliciting the “relaxation
response,” which is a state of peacefulness.
It decreases sympathetic
nervous system activity, reduces stress
hormones, and quiets the noise of
your mind. The relaxation response
is the opposite of a stress response
and is the foundation of everything I
teach. Techniques include meditation,
yoga, progressive muscle relaxation,
diaphragmatic breathing, visualization,
prayer, and self-hypnosis. These practices
help you to stay in the moment
and experience inner stillness. Relaxation
is an important step in the process
of healing.

Laugh more often. Laughter gives
your immune system a boost.

Another tip for staying positive is
what I call “news and goods.” Every day
for the rest of your life, do something
new or good for yourself. These do
not have to be big deals or cost a lot
of money. You might treat yourself to
some delicious dark chocolate, take
an aromatherapy bath instead of a
shower, call a friend, or walk in nature.
These things perk up your spirits
very quickly.

As distressing as cancer can be,
people with cancer sometimes find
benefits. They often say, “How come
it took cancer to get me to ‘wake up?’”
Things that used to be important no
longer are, while other things become
vital. People change careers, experience
increased spirituality, and develop
more intense relationships with family
and friends. Research has called this
“benefit finding” or “resiliency.” Both create positive emotions.

Create some quiet time, sit down
with paper and pen, and ask yourself
these big questions: “What is really
meaningful in my life now?” “Why am
I here?” “What are the gifts I have to
give?” Then focus on the following:
career/education, relationships, creativity,
play, health, material objects,
spirituality, volunteering, and self-transformation.
Close your eyes and
think of what you want, and when
you have answers, write them down.
Take small steps to attain your goals.
Doing what gives your life meaning
gives you a sense of commitment,
control, and resiliency.

Every day for the rest of your life, do something
new or good for yourself.

Create an “attitude of gratitude” list.
Each day, write about things you are
grateful for. It is easy to get caught up
in all the details of cancer and forget
there are many things and people in
your life that you appreciate.

Do some sort of physical exercise
every day. If you cannot do the exercises
that you used to do, go for a walk,
or take a yoga or Tai Chi class. Exercise
improves your stamina, mood,
and immune system.

When dealing with cancer, and
everything else that life brings you,
your mind becomes very busy. If you
pay attention, you might discover
that you do a lot of “catastrophizing,”
jumping to conclusions, and wishing.
Maybe you make up huge stories about
what might happen, or you ruminate
about the past. Your negative thoughts
create negative emotions. If you write
down these negative thoughts, you will
recognize that many of them are illogical,
not helpful, and often not true. Ask
yourself, “Is this helping me right now?”
Replace negative thoughts with more
rational and positive ways of thinking.
You will find that
when you change
your mind, you
can change your
mood. Research
shows that positive
thoughts
and emotions
can have effects
beyond making
you “feel good”
in the moment.
They create new ways of thinking,
enhance optimism, and buffer you
from future stress.

Laugh more often. Spend time with
people who make you laugh. Laughter
has many health benefits, according to
research. It releases beta-endorphins
(natural painkillers), so pain is reduced,
and your mood is improved. Best of
all, laughter gives your immune system
a boost.

It is my hope that in practicing some
of these simple techniques, you will
feel more peaceful, optimistic, and energetic.
You may feel more connected
to yourself and the world around you
and discover a more inspired way
of living.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Dr. Ann Webster is the director
of the Mind/Body Programs for Cancer
and for HIV+/AIDS at the Benson-Henry
Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts
General Hospital.

This article was printed from copingmag.com and was originally published in Coping® with Cancer magazine,
May/June
2008.